Improved sorghum-evaporator



@with tstesstent ffice.

NO AH CLOUSE, v OF BUFFALO VILLAGE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters .Patent No. 72,267, dated December 17, 1867.

IMPROVED SRGHUM-EVAPORATOB..

ilge Stlgemle referrer tu in there tettets tant mit mating auf nf A111etime.

TO ALL WHOM IT M/AY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, NOAH CLOUSE, of'Buti'alo Village, in the county of'Washington, and State of Penn Sylvania, have invented a newlandimproredSorghum-Evaporator; and` I do hereby ,declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to m'ake and usev the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. v

Figure l represents a plan or top view of my improvedsorghum-evaporator.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same, the plane ofsection being indicated by theV line :c x, fig. 3. y

Figure 3 is a. longitudinal vertical section of the same, the plane ofsectionb'eing indicated by the line y y. iis- 1- Figure 4 is a side viewofthe wheels, which are iitted to the boiler-frames.

Figure 5 is a plan or top view, partly in section, of a corner of theboiler-frame and wheel-attachment.

Similar lettersci` reference indicate corresponding parts. v

This invention relates to a new sorghum-evaporator, lwhich is soarranged that tho vsorghum goes .through the whale process ,in .separatevessels, sothat each vessel can be cleaned after it has been emptied,and can be made ready for further operation without stopping orretarding the process in the other vessels.

lThe invention consists in arranging two furnaces, one for boiling theliquid to the required consistency, and the other for keeping a slow re,to keep the liquid at the required temperature while it is being skimmedthe second time. The vessels in which the liquid is contained arerectangular boxes, hung in carriages, which run on caster-wheels, asuitable track being arranged above the furnaces and on their sides,'toallow-the vessels to be moved from place to place. When a vessel is overeither of the furnaces theliquid is skimmed by a skimmer, fitted to acarriage, whichcan be moved on the edges of the vessel, to deposit thescum from ghe vessel containing the molasses, to a properscum-receptacle. I

A A represent vessels for holding the molasses. The same are made ofsheet metal or any suitable material,

of any suitable size and shape. I prefer to makevthe same of rectangularfoi-u1, as shown in the drawings.

Each vessel is hung in a rectangular frame, E. by means of L-shapedplates O, as shown. The vertical arms of these plates slide in groovesprovided in the inner sides of the frames B. rllhe boxes are pivoted topins, a a, formed in the inner sides of these vertical arms. I Theweight ofthe boxes is sustained on the frames by screws, b b, fittedthrough the horizontal arms ofthe plates C, their lower ends restingupon the surface ofthe frames. Each vessel A is pivotcd to two plates C,which are arranged opposite to each other, upon the frames B. The platesC are arranged nearer to one end of each frame than to the other, andthe boxes are thus not pivoted in their centres, nor are they thusbalanced. To prevent the longer end of the vessel Afl-om tipping o'ver,ascrew or pin, c, is fitted into that end of the box resting upon theframe B,'as is clearly shown in fig. 3. These pins c thusl uphold theweight ofthe longer ends ci the vessels A. It will be easilyunderstood,/that by turning the screws b b, on each frame B, the vesselA, pivoted to such frame, can be raised or lowered at will. To keep thevessel level, while it is in this manner adjusted hy the screws b, thepins c will have to be set in a different hole, provided for thatpurpose, in the end of theressel A. The-frames B B are provided withcasters D D, fitted in or near their corners, so thatthe frames willthereby be transformed into carriages, which can he moved` in eitherdirection. If it is desired to lock the casters in any one position, apin, d, may be fitted through a hole in a plate, e, which is formed on4the upright caster-shaft; said pin d passing into the frame B, and thuslocking the casters, and preventing them from turning aroundtheinupright shafts. This arrangement of the casters is clearlyillustratedvin iigs. 4 and 5. For full-size machines, the iiprightshaftf of the casters may he extended above the plate e, and squared, sothat the wheel can be turned by means of a`suitable wrench. E is astationary" frame, supported upon suitable standards, and consisting ofhorizontal rails, upon which the carriages B can travel. Actually thisframe E consists of two frames, of rectangular shape, arranged parallelto each other, with a passage between them. Each of such two frames isdivided, by cross-rails g g, into three compart-i ments, of which thoseat the vends are of similar sizeand shape as the vessels A. Thecross-rails and end rails of' such two frames E can, if desired, beconnected byidetacliable rai-'ls 7L h, as shown in iig. 1. By thisarrangement of the frame E, four sections are formed in the same, eachof about equal area as the vessel A. These rms? 2 four sections aremarked respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Under the sections 2 and 3 arebuilt two furnaces, F and G, respectively. The furnace G, under thesection 3, is covered by a plate, z'.

The operation is as follows: Three or four vessels are used. When avessel stands over the section 1 it is filled with sorghum, is then4moved over the furnace F, and its contents boiled tothe requiredconsistency; thence it is moved on the rails of the frame E, o ver thefurnace G, in which a slow fire is made.. The sorghum is skimmed whileoverl the furnace F, and again when over the 'furnace G. When thesorghum is sutiiciently boiled and cleaned, thevessel is moved over thesection 4, andnis then dumped or emptied (see iig. 3,) its con- `tentsowing into a cooling-pan, H. The vessel is then moved to section 1again, and is .there cleaned and scrubbed, so as to be prepared foranother `change of the liquid. When thelvessel stands above the furnaceF, two boxes, I I, are attached to its ends, to receive the scum, thcupper edges ot these boxes being on the lsame level with the surface ofthe vessels A. The manner of attaching these scum-boxes to the vesselcan be varied at pleasure. The skimlneris :t semi-cylindrical perforatedvessel J,'pivoted to the ends oi' the rods jj, which projects from abar, having its bearings in .the side walls of a carriage, K. The endpieces of the carriage are connected by a semicircular wire or bar, l,around which is fitted and whereon slides a leve?, m, projecting fromthe bar c; the bar 7c being the centre from which the nrc of lis struck.The wheels o, of the `carriage K, rest upon the edge of the vessel A,and thus the said carriagel can be easily moved en the vessel A, fromend to end of the same. The skimmer J has a handle, n', by means ofwhich it can be turned in its bearings. The skimmer is set, as shown infig. 3, and moved freni one end to the ethernet' the vessel A. It isthen emptied into the box I, at the end of the vessel, and then theposition of the lever mis reversed on the arc Z, and the carriage ismoved to the opposite end of the vessel again. Over thefurnace Githesorghum is skimmed again. i t

The main advantage of `my invention are', that the sorghum can berapidly skimmed while undergoing the evaporating-proccss, so as to bepurified; that cach portion of the sorghumris kept separate from theothers, so that crude juice will not be mixed with partly or whollyfinished sirup; that an opportunity is given, during each circuit, towash and clean each boiler, thereby producing very pure molasses.

'lhe height of the vessels A above the iire can be regulated by thescrews b, and therebyl also the amount of heat to which the liquid issubjected.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent- '1. 'lhe manner herein shown and described of hangingthe vessels A in thc carriages B, by means of plates C, having pins aand screws b, and by means of steadying-pins c, as described.

2. rlhc carriages E E, when provided .with adjustable casters, havingplates c on their upright axles, and secured, by pins d, in any desiredposition, as described.

3. The arrangement of the frame E, divided into sections-to allow theeasy transportation of the vessels A from one section to the other, asdescribed.

4. A sorghum-evaporator, consisting of a series oi' separate vessels, AA, hung in carriages D B, and moved in succession from thefilling-place, over the furnaces F and Gr, to the cooling-pan ordischarge, substantially as described.

NOAH CLOUSE.

Witnesses:

S. R. WITunow, JOHN GnArsoN, Jr.

